Advance voting for the Ward 20, Scarborough Southwest by-election this weekend

On election day, Thursday, November 30, eligible voters must vote at their designated location. (Pexels Photo)

Advance voting for the Ward 20, Scarborough Southwest by-election for Councillor is available Saturday, November 25 and Sunday, November 26 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

During the advance vote, eligible voters can choose to vote at one of two available voting places:

• Birchmount Community Centre, 93 Birchmount Rd.
• Warden Hilltop Community Centre, 25 Mendelssohn St.

On election day, Thursday, November 30, eligible voters must vote at their designated location.

Eligible voters can visit MyVote (www.toronto.ca/MyVote) to:

• Learn where and when to vote
• Find out if they are on the voters’ list
• View, download or print their Voter Information Card (if on the voters’ list)
• Review the list of candidates running and a sample ballot
• Find accessibility information about their voting location.

Voter eligibility

To vote in the Ward 20, Scarborough Southwest by-election, voters must be:

• a Canadian citizen; and
• at least 18 years old; and
• a resident in Ward 20, Scarborough Southwest; or
• a non-resident of city of Toronto, but they or their spouse own or rent property in Ward 20, Scarborough Southwest; and
• not prohibited from voting under any law.

A resident of Toronto must vote in the ward where they live. Eligible voters may only vote once in this by-election, regardless of how many properties they own or rent within Ward 20, Scarborough Southwest.

Mail-In Voting

Completed Mail-In Voting packages must be returned to Toronto Elections by noon on Monday, November 27. Packages can be returned by Canada Post to arrive by the deadline or hand delivered to a secure yellow Mail-in Voting drop box.

If an eligible voter applied to vote by mail but decides to vote in person and has not returned their Mail-In Voting package, they can vote in person during advance vote or on election day. More information, including drop box locations, is available on the Toronto Elections Mail-in Voting webpage.

What to take to the voting place

Eligible voters are reminded to bring identification that shows their name and qualifying Ward 20, Scarborough Southwest address and their Voter Information Card (VIC) when they go to vote. A VIC is not required to vote but it will contribute to a more efficient voting experience.

If an eligible voter on the voters’ list does not receive a VIC by mail, they can visit MyVote to print a VIC or download a digital copy to their smartphone that can be shown at the voting place, along with acceptable identification.

A list of acceptable identification is available on the Toronto Elections Voter Information webpage.

More information about VICs is available on the Toronto Elections Voter Information Card webpage.

Accessibility for advance vote

A Voter Assist Terminal is available at the two advance vote locations to enable voters with disabilities to mark their ballot privately and independently. The Voter Assist Terminal includes features such as a touch screen, audio function, braille keypad, sip/puff tube device, rocker paddle/foot switch and zoom features to adjust font sizes and colour contrast.

If an eligible voter requires the use of a Voter Assist Terminal on election day and one is not located at their designated voting location, they can request to have their ballot transferred by calling 311 or 416-338-0TTY (0889).

More information about the Ward 20, Scarborough Southwest by-election is available on the Toronto Elections webpage.

Directions for media

For media outlet technical and/or production staff that plan to download and access election results on election night, information can be found on the Toronto Elections Results webpage.

The City’s Media Attendance at a Voting Place policy will be in effect during advance vote and on election day. The policy is available on the City’s website .

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